Recipes for Passover

Serves 12. 2 bottles Cabernet Sauvignon 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 12 portions boneless beef short ribs, each about 6 ounces, trimmed Salt 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed Fine matzo meal, for dredging 20 garlic cloves, peeled 16 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, rinsed, split, and dried 4 medium organic carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths 4 stalks organic celery, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, slit and thoroughly washed to remove all grit, coarsely chopped 12 sprigs Italian parsley 4 sprigs fresh thyme 4 bay leaves 4 tablespoons tomato paste 4 quarts low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth Freshly ground white pepper Pour the wine into a large saucepan or pot set over medium heat. When the wine is heated, carefully touch a long kitchen or fireplace match near the surface of the wine to set it aflame. Let the flames die out. Then, raise the heat and bring the wine to a boil; continue boiling until the liquid reduces by half. Remove from the heat. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large casserole large enough to hold the short ribs. Season the ribs all over with salt and the crushed peppercorns. Dust the ribs with about 4 tablespoons of matzo meal and then, when the oil is hot, carefully transfer half of the pieces into the Dutch oven and sear until well-browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining short ribs. Carefully remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the Dutch oven; reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, shallots, carrots, celery, leeks, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Add the reduced wine, browned ribs, and broth. Bring to a boil; cover the Dutch oven tightly, slide it into the oven, and cook until the ribs are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork, about 2-1/2 hours. Every 30 minutes or so, lift the lid and skim off and discard any fat that's risen to the surface. Carefully transfer the meat to a heated serving platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Boil the liquid remaining in the Dutch oven until it thickens and reduces to about 2 quarts. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pass through a fine-mesh strainer; discarding the solids. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve immediately.

Serves 12. 2 bottles Cabernet Sauvignon 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 12 portions boneless beef short ribs, each about 6 ounces, trimmed Salt 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed Fine matzo meal, for dredging 20 garlic cloves, peeled 16 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, rinsed, split, and dried 4 medium organic carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths 4 stalks organic celery, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, slit and thoroughly washed to remove all grit, coarsely chopped 12 sprigs Italian parsley 4 sprigs fresh thyme 4 bay leaves 4 tablespoons tomato paste 4 quarts low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth Freshly ground white pepper Pour the wine into a large saucepan or pot set over medium heat. When the wine is heated, carefully touch a long kitchen or fireplace match near the surface of the wine to set it aflame. Let the flames die out. Then, raise the heat and bring the wine to a boil; continue boiling until the liquid reduces by half. Remove from the heat. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large casserole large enough to hold the short ribs. Season the ribs all over with salt and the crushed peppercorns. Dust the ribs with about 4 tablespoons of matzo meal and then, when the oil is hot, carefully transfer half of the pieces into the Dutch oven and sear until well-browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining short ribs. Carefully remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the Dutch oven; reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, shallots, carrots, celery, leeks, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Add the reduced wine, browned ribs, and broth. Bring to a boil; cover the Dutch oven tightly, slide it into the oven, and cook until the ribs are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork, about 2-1/2 hours. Every 30 minutes or so, lift the lid and skim off and discard any fat that's risen to the surface. Carefully transfer the meat to a heated serving platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Boil the liquid remaining in the Dutch oven until it thickens and reduces to about 2 quarts. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pass through a fine-mesh strainer; discarding the solids. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve immediately. (Recipe from Tribune Media Services)

Serves 6. For the matzo balls: 2 cups matzo meal (I prefer to buy unsalted crackers and pulse in the food processor) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon truffle salt (if you don't have truffle salt, just use regular) 4 eggs 2 tablespoons melted butter (you could use shmaltz, if you are not vegetarian) 1/4 cup seltzer water For the soup: 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, roughly diced 4 small carrots or 2 large, roughly chopped 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped 1/2 cup sherry or white wine 2 quarts vegetable broth (I recommend Imagine Organic No Chicken) or homemade vegetable stock 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried dill Fresh dill for garnish Matzo balls: Pulse the matzo crackers in a food processor until an imperfect powder is formed. A few bigger pieces are fine. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the matzo meal, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, butter and seltzer water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until evenly incorporated. Refrigerate mixture for about an hour (or up to 6 hours). Heat a large stockpot of water and bring to a boil. Wet your hands a little and round matzo mixture the size of golf balls. Handle the mixture as little as possible. The lighter the touch, the lighter the matzo ball! The matzo balls will expand as you cook them. When all matzo balls are formed and water is boiling, carefully drop each one into the boiling water. Cover and do not lift the lid for 25 minutes. (Another matzo tradition is to never check on the dumplings while they're cooking or they will be tough and heavy.) After 25 minutes, cut one ball in half and make sure it is cooked. I cooked mine for about 5 minutes more, in total 30 minutes with one lifting of the lid. Soup: In another soup pot, get your stock going. Heat the olive oil on medium and saute the onions, carrot and celery for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are beginning to soften. Add sherry (or white wine) and cook for another 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock, garlic, bay leaves, dill and simmer for about 30 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste. Add matzo balls to the stock about 15 minutes before you're ready to serve, gently warming the soup (the matzo balls will absorb some of the great stock flavor, so don't skimp on this step). Garnish with fresh dill sprigs.

Serves 6. For the matzo balls: 2 cups matzo meal (I prefer to buy unsalted crackers and pulse in the food processor) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon truffle salt (if you don't have truffle salt, just use regular) 4 eggs 2 tablespoons melted butter (you could use shmaltz, if you are not vegetarian) 1/4 cup seltzer water For the soup: 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, roughly diced 4 small carrots or 2 large, roughly chopped 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped 1/2 cup sherry or white wine 2 quarts vegetable broth (I recommend Imagine Organic No Chicken) or homemade vegetable stock 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried dill Fresh dill for garnish Matzo balls: Pulse the matzo crackers in a food processor until an imperfect powder is formed. A few bigger pieces are fine. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the matzo meal, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, butter and seltzer water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until evenly incorporated. Refrigerate mixture for about an hour (or up to 6 hours). Heat a large stockpot of water and bring to a boil. Wet your hands a little and round matzo mixture the size of golf balls. Handle the mixture as little as possible. The lighter the touch, the lighter the matzo ball! The matzo balls will expand as you cook them. When all matzo balls are formed and water is boiling, carefully drop each one into the boiling water. Cover and do not lift the lid for 25 minutes. (Another matzo tradition is to never check on the dumplings while they're cooking or they will be tough and heavy.) After 25 minutes, cut one ball in half and make sure it is cooked. I cooked mine for about 5 minutes more, in total 30 minutes with one lifting of the lid. Soup: In another soup pot, get your stock going. Heat the olive oil on medium and saute the onions, carrot and celery for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are beginning to soften. Add sherry (or white wine) and cook for another 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock, garlic, bay leaves, dill and simmer for about 30 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste. Add matzo balls to the stock about 15 minutes before you're ready to serve, gently warming the soup (the matzo balls will absorb some of the great stock flavor, so don't skimp on this step). Garnish with fresh dill sprigs. (Recipe from Tribune Media Services)